Compare use of ICE during catheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias affect outcomes compared to ablation without the use of ICE

• Systematic literature review and meta-analysis
• 19 studies identified
• 2,186 total patients included

Use of ICE was associated with a significant:

• 6.95 mean reduction in fluoroscopy time
• 15.2 mean reduction in procedure time
• Reduction in fluoroscopy dose

Identify factors associated with the occurrence of cardiac perforation caused during a catheter ablation procedure for atrial fibrillation

• Retrospective, observational cohort study 

• Data from the Medicare Standard Analytic File was used 

• Logistic regression was used to assess predictors of cardiac perforation 

• 1.3x greater odds of perforation for female sex
• 1.4x greater odds of perforation for obesity
• 4.9x lower odds of perforation with use of ICE
• 0.1x lower odds of perforation with prior cardiac surgery

Assess differences in outcomes between ventricular tachycardia (VT) patients undergoing catheter ablation with versus without the use of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE).

• Retrospective, observational cohort study
• Data from the IBM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases were used
• Comparison using propensity-score matching and regression analysis

As compared to the non-ICE cohort, at 12-month follow-up, the ICE cohort was associated with:

• 24% lower odds of VT-related readmission
• 30% lower odds of repeat VT ablation

Assess the relationship between the presence or absence of on-site cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) units, with 30-day rates of cardiac perforation, CTS, re-hospitalization, and death

• Retrospective, non-randomized database study
• Data from the Medicare Standard Analytic File was used
• Comparison using propensity-score matching and regression analysis

There was no significant difference between the presence or absence of CTS units and rates of cardiac perforation, CTS, re-hospitalization, and death.